Squirrel and Bone
by Peppercloud
Summary: Squirrel and Bone's love struggles to survive when Bone is forced to get a mate! They run away together and a strange cat finds them that speaks dog! The cat tells them of a prophecy that could destroy the Pack if they don't end their love! What will they do? P.S. I know this story is mostly about dogs so please don't send me anything about how the story is about dogs and not cats!
1. Chapter 1

Squirrel and Bone

Chapter One

" Father, please! I can't have Billion as a mate! I'm not in love with her!" Bone protested, his tawny tail lashing angrily as he argued with his father.

Pine turned on his son with blazing eyes. " I have arranged for Billion to be your mate! Now buck up and deal with it!" Bone growled but said nothing. He knew better than to fight with the Alpha of the pack.

" I'm sorry," Squirrel murmured, padding up to Bone. She rested her muzzle on Bone's head.

" He just won't listen to me!" Bone croaked. His pale ears drooped. Squirrel didn't know what to do. She was the Medicine Dog of the pack, but there was no cure for sadness.

" Run away with me!" Squirrel whispered. Bone gazed at the small she-dog in surprise, his dark amber eyes wide.

" What? But I can't leave! Not with Mother ill!" Bone yelped. Squirrel dipped her head. Why had she said that? Of course she couldn't run away, not when no other dog in the pack had knowledge of herbs that could save Bone's deathly ill mother!

" I know, I know. I'm sorry I said that," Squirrel apologized, her ginger tail lashing. Bone licked her cheek tenderly and stared up at the sky. The first stars were starting to come out.

" Everything seems so impossible," Bone sighed. " I don't want Billion to be my mate! She's so stuck-up!" Bone sighed again. He lowered his head and watched a worm slowly slide across the peaty brown soil.

" Let's wait until I have an apprentice, and then we can run away from all our troubles!" Squirrel murmured into Bone's ear. Bone didn't move. He and Squirrel both knew running away was out of the question. The pack needed both of them. To leave was like to sentence the pack to death.

" It's just a dream, Squirrel. Running away won't ever happen. I don't think… I don't think our love could make it," Bone confessed. Squirrel was shocked! She and Bone had been in love for moons!

" Fine! Go and love Billion instead!" Squirrel growled, baring her teeth at Bone. Her reddish fur bristled.

" No, I didn't mean it like that!" Bone protested.

" Really? Well, too bad!" Squirrel snarled, turning on Bone and trotting to her den. Bone ran after her but Squirrel aimed a swipe at his face and, even though she missed, her claws were close enough to Bone's face to make his eyelashes shiver.

" Squirrel? Squirrel? I'm sorry! Please!" Bone whimpered. Squirrel said nothing. Bone saw her crawl into her nest and drew her paws over her ears so she wouldn't hear Bone's calls.

" I'm sorry," Bone said one last time before turning away and retreating to his den.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

" Bone? It's time," Pine called softly, waking up Bone. Pine's sleek dark brown pelt was recently groomed and looked extra-glossy in the early morning light. Bone quickly groomed himself, licking down ruffled patches of fur.

"Let's go!" Bone jumped up and confidently padded out of his den, although inside he was a nervous wreck. Why did _Billion _have to be his mate? Why? Billion was known for being boastful and incredibly self-centered. Despite her beauty, she was a very uninteresting dog.

" Your mother is too ill to attend the ceremony," Pine murmured into his son's ear. Bone shrugged. He didn't mind too much.

" Oh, hey darling!" Billion called. She had long golden fur and bright blue eyes. Her nose was pink and her paws were soft from never hunting. Billion's servant, Coin, hunted for both of them, andBone wasn't surprised to see Billion's brother tagging along.

" Greetings, Bone," Coin barked. His voice was sharp and hurt Bone's ear. Coin's voice sounded like a hundred fingernails on a blackboard.

" Greetings, Coin," Bone replied awkwardly. Pine nodded approvingly.

" So, darling, how are you?" Billion demanded in her Southern twang.

" I'm fine, Billion - " Billion cut off Bone with a swoon.

" Oh, I am _fine_ thank you for asking! I licked my fur a hundred times so I would look extra-special for my big day!" Billion swooned again, leaning back a little this time. Bone had to stop himself from rolling his eyes. Billion was _so_ annoying!

" You certainly do look fine," Pine told Billion. Billion batted her long eyelashes at the Alpha dog.

" How sweet! Now don't forget, dear, that you have a mate!" Billion apparently thought this was funny and giggled. Her laugh sounded like tinkling bells and was a nice sound, Bone admitted grudgingly.

" Well, let's get you two Mated," Pine grumbled quickly. A Mating was the ceremony that bound two dogs together. However, the bond could be easily broken, but angered the Dogs Above.

A FEW HOURS LATER

" Oh, I feel so _old_ now!" Billion complained, looking at herself in a puddle.

" You look fine, Billion, now let's get home," Bone told her, his eyes narrowed with annoyance. Billion ignored him and continued staring in the water. Bone lost his cool and snarled.

" You feel old? Oh yeah? Well, you are as ugly as a rat's butt, and you smell like one too!" Bone growled, grabbing Billion's golden fur and yanked her away from the puddle. Billion wailed and tears poured down her face.

" Why are you so mean to me?" Billion cried as Bone dragged her to the den and threw her into her nest.

" Because you are so darn SELFISH!" Bone roared. Billion suddenly became very quiet. After a while. Billion finally dared to speak. Bone paced around the den, muttering.

" But - But - But don't you love me?" Billion whimpered. Bone laughed coldly.

" Who'd love a self-centered _brat _like you?" Bone demanded. A tear fell from Billion's blue eyes.

" So you don't think I'm pretty?" Billion inquired. Bone shook his head. Billion grinned and wagged her plumed tail happily.

" All the other dogs out there only like me for my beauty! I think I love you, Bone," Billion said adoringly. Bone snarled and poked his head out of the den.

" Thanks a lot, Dogs Above! You're really helping me now!" Bone yelled to the Moon. He ducked back in and sat down in front of Billion wearily.

" Bone, honey? Why are you talking to the moon?" Billion asked, her eyes dark with concern.

" If you knew anything, you'd know I was talking to the Dogs Above!" Bone growled to her in response. Billion frowned and then grinned.

" I know the Dogs Above! Aren't they the stars, though? Anyways," Billion said hastily before Bone could yell at her, " I have a feeling you don't love me. Do you love someone else? Why don't you love me? I love you!"

" Of course I don't love you, you annoying RAT! And I am in love. I'm in love with Squirrel," Bone confessed. Billion frowned.

" You're in love with _prey_?" Billion questioned. Bone heaved a sigh.

" Yeah, I'm having a love affair with a bit of prey," Bone replied sarcastically. Billion looked frightened and pulled away from Bone.

" Are you sane, darling? 'cause being in love with prey isn't normal," Billion pointed out.

" See? You _are _stupid!" Bone said triumphantly. Billion said nothing so Bone continued.

" I don't love you because you aren't my type. You are the stupid, pretty, annoying type," Bone told her gently. Billion didn't seem insulted.

" I'm the pretty type? You think so?" Billion asked, wagging her tail.

" No, I think you are the ugly, stupid, annoying type," Bone responded quickly. " Anyways, I have to go. I'm going to break the bond, okay? Now, you can go find a dog who loves you and I will run away with Squirrel, okay?"

" But the squirrel is dead," Billion said, her eyebrows pushed together with confusion. Bone let out a snarl of frustration but didn't correct the shallow she-dog.

" Bye, Billion!" Bone called, ducking out of the den and gulping in the fresh night air.

" Bye, Bone! Go have fun with the prey!" Billion called back. Bone ran across the clearing and entered the Medicine Den. Squirrel was sleeping, snoring quietly. Bone's mother was in the den, but Mother was a heavy sleeper.

" Squirrel? Squirrel! Wake up! We have to leave now!" Bone murmured urgently. Squirrel lifted her head, her dark eyes bleary with sleep.

" Huh? What?" Squirrel mumbled, her fur rumpled. Bone felt a rush of affection for the young she-dog.

" We have to go!" Bone told her. Squirrel jumped up, glancing at Mother's sleeping body. Her heartbeat was normal, and her breathing wasn't ragged. She was healthy.

Bone and Squirrel dashed out of the den into the forest. They ran, and ran, and ran, and ran, all night long.


	3. Chapter 3

" Squirrel, my love, wake up," Bone murmured, touching his nose to Squirrel's soft ear. The russet she-dog quickly woke.

" Oh, it's just you Bone," Squirrel breathed. The sun began to rise over the tips of the trees.

" We have to hurry. We're nearly out of the forest but we've been resting too long," Bone warned. If they could get out of the woods in time, they'd be free of Pine and the rest of the Pack.

" Okay, let's go." Squirrel jumped up and trotted out of the cave. Bone followed after her, the sun touching her red fur and turning it to gold.

" So beautiful," Bone mumbled. Squirrel twisted around and tilted her head.

" What's that?" Squirrel inquired. Bone shook his head and they continued on through the trees. The earlier legs of the journey had been easier but more nerve-wrecking since they were closer to the pack camp. If Pine found them, they'd be dog food for sure!

" Look! I can see mountains, and a meadow!" Squirrel barked. Bone instantly forgot his worries and raced ahead, past a few tall trees and into a clearing. He could see a green meadow rolling out in front of them. The sun blazed behind the looming mountains.

" We're free," Bone whispered, taking a step forward into the meadow. Squirrel didn't reply. Bone stepped farther and farther into the meadow, away from the trees.

" C'mon, Squirrel! It's fun!" Bone yipped, leaping in the tall grass that tickled his belly. But Squirrel still didn't reply. Bone turned around with wide eyes. " Squirrel?" But the she-dog was gone. Bone raced forward and sniffed the air. Pine's pack! He could smell them here, as well as fear-scent.

" Oh no..." Bone whimpered. They had kidnapped Squirrel! Bone sprinted through the forest, towards Pine's camp rather than farther away. He had to find Squirrel, he had too!

The creamy white dog made the three-day journey into a day's long run. He could smell the strong scent of fear and the other scents of more and more dogs.

" I'm here! I want Squirrel!" Bone howled, his heart black with rage. He paced outside of camp, not daring to go inside in case they hurt Squirrel. Bone hardly recognized the muscular dog that sauntered out of camp to greet him.

" So you've decided to come back and bless us with your presence?" The dog sneered, revealing sharp fangs. Bone suddenly knew who the dog was. It was Pine, his own father!

" I've come for Squirrel," Bone replied sharply.

" You can't have her," Pine growled back. The larger brown dog stepped forward, hulking over Bone.

" You don't frighten me," Bone snarled. It was true. Pine could only hurt him, but the other thing that Pine could do was hurt Squirrel.

" Maybe I don't, but I also have your love as my prisoner," Pine said triumphantly. Bone lashed his tail and bared his teeth angrily.

" Give her back," Bone whispered with narrowed eyes. Pine raised his chin.

" You may have her back, but only when my mate heals. If my mate dies, so will Squirrel," Pine added. Bone gulped back and whimper and Pine smirked.

" How long will that take?" Bone challenged.

" Less time than it will take for you to steal her!" Pine retorted. Bone snorted but said nothing. " Anyways, _pup_, you'll have your mate when I have mine. It's only fair!" Pine abruptly turned around and marched back into camp, leaving Bone alone.


End file.
